I'll be willing to assist somebody, or I might just make bios for some of the picks I like.

With Selfish Man and Super Swede, we actually have 14. What I could do is keep SS included (I think he could go either way once he realizes he's just making 25 picks) and you could be his assistant - the guy who makes sure he doesn't just do the noob thing and pick all active players

I could start this up effective immediately, with 14, and it would be a minor risk because SS might be completely out and you don't want to run a team yourself either. But I think that if he knows he has help he'd be in. What do you think?

Ok, it's official. We start today. Someone who can be counted on to edit the OP, please start the draft thread. I will add a randomized draft order soon after via phone. My wife is doing the randomizing blindly, using numbers.

Super swede is assumed in, as he has a strong support circle to get him through. 14 teams.

He of course is an all-time great, but I certainly didn't want him in a top role. HO wanted him more and he fit the speed style. Samuelsson also was more HO.

Modano has been very good but if you want to build a wining team, Nieuwendyk will be more valuable than Modano. Their entire careers showed intabgibles to that effect. I'm glad Modano beat the early career knock on him as an underperforming goal scorer. But he never really lived up to the Sakic and Yzerman types who could put a team on their backs and lead a team to success. Modano is overrated imo. Is he HHOF material? Yes. He may never have come close to matching his 50 goal first season in Dallas, but a half dozen 35 goal seasons and 45-50 assist seasons a dozen times puts him at close to a point per game average. He's a great pick at some point, a good pick at other points, and a so-so pick at some points in the draft.

He of course is an all-time great, but I certainly didn't want him in a top role. HO wanted him more and he fit the speed style. Samuelsson also was more HO.

Modano has been very good but if you want to build a wining team, Nieuwendyk will be more valuable than Modano. Their entire careers showed intabgibles to that effect. I'm glad Modano beat the early career knock on him as an underperforming goal scorer. But he never really lived up to the Sakic and Yzerman types who could put a team on their backs and lead a team to success. Modano is overrated imo. Is he HHOF material? Yes. He may never have come close to matching his 50 goal first season in Dallas, but a half dozen 35 goal seasons and 45-50 assist seasons a dozen times puts him at close to a point per game average. He's a great pick at some point, a good pick at other points, and a so-so pick at some points in the draft.

I couldn't possibly disagree more re: Nieuwendyk, and I'm not alone, but we'll leave that for another day on the HOH board.

I'm just not sure the above really matches what you (as TheSabre) said in ATD2011 when I praised Modano as an upper-crust 2nd liner in a 40-team draft. But then, that might have been TheSabre's opinion and not yours. I haven't really figured out that whole business, if TheSabre was, like ZM, a completely alternate personality, or just you in disguise

TheSabre was, like ZM, a completely alternate personality, or just you in disguise

I had just ONE team in ATD 2011 and that was The Sabre, a username that replaced VI (I renounced my mod duties because I was so upset, and changed the VI name to JOOTG) when I was so pissed off at having my ideas shot down so quickly by GMs I respected (THAT is another story, better left alone). I am a bit ashamed of The Sabre, as it unfortunately became a licence to indulge in negative thoughts and express negative feelings. It's dead and hopefully gone for good. Turninga new page is important.

ZM was just a picking machine, initially created to get the draft to an even number, and 99% of the posts were simply perceived best-possible picks and bio info. Any comments posted by that username was impulsive, like late on a Friday night after getting home drunk, or the like.

I, at my best, am and will always be VanIslander, and under that identity I try to do more good than bad. I'm not perfect and have made some mistakes. But I'm trying to get past them and focus on making things better.

He of course is an all-time great, but I certainly didn't want him in a top role. HO wanted him more and he fit the speed style. Samuelsson also was more HO.

Modano has been very good but if you want to build a wining team, Nieuwendyk will be more valuable than Modano. Their entire careers showed intabgibles to that effect. I'm glad Modano beat the early career knock on him as an underperforming goal scorer. But he never really lived up to the Sakic and Yzerman types who could put a team on their backs and lead a team to success. Modano is overrated imo. Is he HHOF material? Yes. He may never have come close to matching his 50 goal first season in Dallas, but a half dozen 35 goal seasons and 45-50 assist seasons a dozen times puts him at close to a point per game average. He's a great pick at some point, a good pick at other points, and a so-so pick at some points in the draft.

The knock on Modano is probably that he had to be in the right situation. Right coach, right linemates, right leadership, etc. He wasn't like Sakic or especially Yzerman where he proved over his career that he could excel with any linemates in any role. He underachieved at the beginning and end of his career.

But when he was in the right situation in Dallas, he was a great player. As good as any centre in the game. Funny you say he never matched his 50 goal season - while he didn't match the goal total, I think he was a lot better as a two-way player under Hitchcock.

Funny you say he never matched his 50 goal season - while he didn't match the goal total, I think he was a lot better as a two-way player under Hitchcock.

Yes! I italicized "underperforming goal scorer" in my post. I should have bolded "underperforming goal scorer". I was a North Stars fan going back to their first Stanley Cup run in 1981. Modano was criticized for lack of finishing, lack of effort and lack of physicality in his early years. Expectations might have been a bit too high. There were even some who said (not me) that the team could not win a championship with him.

As for Modano vs. Nieuwendyk, it was clear the captain was the leader on and off the ice when competition got heavy. He handled traffic much better during the Dead Puck Era and when he went down with an injury at the start of the '99 playoffs the team knew their cup chances were shot. The next season Joe led them to the cup. I prefer the go up the middle and battle defensemen style of grit and determination over the fluid perimeter passing game. Both are great. I always thought Joe a step better, though Modano-Lehtinen had surprising chemistry and really were a fantastic tandem, helping each other out a lot.

Yes! I italicized "underperforming goal scorer" in my post. I should have bolded "underperforming goal scorer". I was a North Stars fan going back to their first Stanley Cup run in 1981. Modano was criticized for lack of finishing, lack of effort and lack of physicality in his early years. Expectations might have been a bit too high. There were even some who said (not me) that the team could not win a championship with him.

As for Modano vs. Nieuwendyk, it was clear the captain was the leader on and off the ice when competition got heavy. He handled traffic much better during the Dead Puck Era and when he went down with an injury at the start of the '99 playoffs the team knew their cup chances were shot. The next season Joe led them to the cup. I prefer the go up the middle and battle defensemen style of grit and determination over the fluid perimeter passing game. Both are great. I always thought Joe a step better, though Modano-Lehtinen had surprising chemistry and really were a fantastic tandem, helping each other out a lot.